Ditching-machine



I (No Model.)

' e Sheets-Sheet 1.. F. PLUMB.

DITGHING MACHINE.

No. 244,400. Patented July 19,1881.

Rita-r1155 N. PETERs Pmlwumo ra mr wabin um. D. c.

(No Model.) v s Sheets-Sheet 2.

, 1-"., PLUMB.

v DITGHING MACHINE. No. 244,400. v Patented July 19,1881.

(No Model.) B-Shee-tS-Sheet 3.

P. PLUMB. DITGHING MACHINE.

No. 244,400. PatentedJul y 19,1881.

(No Model.) 6 Sheets Sheet 4.

P. PLUMB. DITGHING- MACHINE.

No. 244,400. Patented Ju1yl9, 1881..

W/f/ZEEE E5 4 N4 PETERS. Puma-Litho ra her. wa'hingtnn. 0.6.

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-S eeeee F. PLUMB. DITGHING MAO I I H NE. No.. 244,400. Patented July 19,1881;

(No M del.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 6.

F; PLUMB. DITUHING MAGHINE. o. 244,400. 4 Patented July 19,1881.

firm rang/" I UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

FAWOETT PLUMB, OF STREATOR, ILLIIvoIs.

- DITCHING-MACIHI-NE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,400, dated July 19, 1881.

' Application filed April 5, 1881. (we model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FAWOETT PLUMB, of Streator, in the county of La Salle and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ditching-Machines; and- I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and useit, reference beinghad to the accompanyingdrawings,which form part of thisv specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in ditching-machines and it consists in the combination and arrangement of the different parts, as will be more fully explained, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of my machine. Fig. 2 is a view of the opposite side. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. 4 is a bottom-plan view. Fig. 5 is a side view, partly in section, of the cutting-wheel, showing manner of operating same. Fig. 6 is a detached view of the inclined shelf for discharging the dirt, and Fig. 7 is a view of the mechanism employed in feeding the machine forward. I

A represents a rectangular frame mounted on the wheels or, and supporting a boiler, B, a revolving wheel, 0, carrying on its circumference cutters and scrapers, and a feeding apparatus for imparting t o the machine a forward motion. The frame A on a full-sized machine will be about sixteen feet long and about three and one-half feet wide, and on the front end of same will be placed the boiler and engine, and between the sides and near the rear end will be suspended in the swinging frame D the revolving wheel 0.

The frame D is composed of the side pieces, (1 d, center piece, 01', and end brace, d and swings on centers in a line with the shaft, furnishing the power used in driving the chain, or other means of transmitting the power that propels the cutting-wheel. The rear end of this frame D is attached to the lifting-chains (1 which pass upward and over the drums or pulleys b on shaft 1), said shaft being journaled in the upright standards 0, secured to the frame A at their lower end, and strengthened at or nearthe top by the inclined braces (1 d extending, respectively, from the rear ,and front of frame A to or near the top of upright standard 0. The opposite ends of these chains d are attached to the winding-drum e, journaled in the rear end of frame A, said winding-drum 0 having gear-wheel c meshing with the worm-gear c on shaft 0 said shaft having a crank, c, by which means the swinging frame D is raised and lowered, thereby regulating the depth of cut of the wheel 0.

The cutting-wheel O is 'journaled to the depending brackets f on the under side of one of the side pieces, at, and center piece, d, of swinging frame D, and consists of a hub having spokes j" radiating therefrom, and provided with any suitable number of cutters, f

and scrapers f alternately arranged on the circumference of the wheel, and when at work this cutting-wheel revolves in a direction contrary to the forward motion of the machine. cutting upward on the face of the ditch and discharging the dirt onto an inclined shelf, off which it slides to one side of the ditch. The periphery of this wheel 0 is provided with two annular flanges, c 0 one on each side thereof, and secured to the spokes or rim by screws, the flange 0 having its periphery unii1terrupted, and affording bearings for the shovels or scrapers f and also for the cutters f which latter are removably secured to either the inner or outer side of said flange, to increase or diminish the width of the ditch, while the opposite flange, 0 is cut away, which, together with the open side of the shovel f forms openings, as shown in Fig. 2, through which the dirt falls onto the shield F and off of the machine. The shovels or scrapers f 3 are curved, as shown in the drawings, and are secured to the flange c by screws or bolts 0 and curve over and have bearing on the opposite flange by a lip, 0 Fig. 2, the backs continuing downward and resting on the tire of the wheel, thereby forming a pocket into which the dirt is scraped and carried upward until delivered from the machine. The cutters f consist of a standard, by which they are secured to the wheel, and a cutting-edge, f extending at right angles to the standard. These cutters f immediately precede the scrapers, and are attached by screws or bolts to the same side of the wheel, and extend out even therewith. I

F is an inclined and curved shelf situated near the top of the machine, under the openin gs of the buckets, and forms a slide on which the dirt is deposited and carried by gravity 011' of the machine'. Connected with this inclined shelf is a shield, F, which descends along the side of the wheel and closes the side openings of the buckets, thereby preventing the dirt escaping therefrom until the inclined shelf has been reached. This shelf and shield are supported and held in position on the swinging frame by suitable braces, The lower end of the shield F may be made separate from the upper part and be provided with an oblong slot, fflthrongh which bolt f passes to the lower end of brace f", having an oblong slot, f, and secured in place by nut f By this arrangement the shield can be lengthened or shortened to suit shallow or deep ditching.

The cutting-wheel O has an annular gear, G, on the inside, near the circnmference,with which the gear-wheel g meshes. This gearwheel 9' is secured on the shaft g jonrnaled in the brackets g 9 said brackets being situated on the side pieces, (I, and center piece, (1, of the swinging frame D. On this shaft 9, between the brackets g, a sprocket or spur wheel, II, is secured, which is connected to sprocket or spur wheel H on the engine-shaft I by a' drive-chain, h, through which positive mot-ion is imparted to the cutter-wheel. The internal gear, G, and wheel 9 are covered in by stationary metallic or wooden disks J, so as to prevent dirt from getting into and clogging the gear and impeding the operation of the cutting-wheel. This cnttingwheel can be raised and lowered by the worm-gear and drum on the rear end of the main frame of the machine, as has already been described, thereby enabling the operator to secure any suitable depth of ditch, and insuring thereby a true grade to the bottom thereof, and when not in use enabling the same to be lifted up and out of contact with the ground.

A cone or conoid, K, on the main shaft I of the engine is belted to a similar one, K, underneath the bed or platform of the machine, at the front end. This under one, K, is secured to the shaft L, on which bevel-gear wheel M is secured, which meshes with bevelgear wheel at on shaft N. This shaft is provided with a worm-gear, a, which meshes with gear-wheel a on shaft 0, journaled in the side pieces of the frame A. A sleeve, 0, is loosely fitted on this shaft, and is prevented from slidin g laterally thereon by a screw, 0, passing through said sleeve and fitting and movin gin an annular groove on the shaft. A sprocket wheel, P, is secured to the sleeve 0, over which the draft-chain R winds.

Upon the shaft Ois placed a sliding clutch, S, which is prevented from rotating on the shaft by means of spline-and-groove connection, or in any other ordinary manner. Vhen the clutch S is thrown into engagement with the sleeve 0 the latter is revolved, together with the sprocket-wheel P secured thereto. Clutch S is moved in and out of engagement with the sleeve 0 by means of the shifting-lever 8, which latter is operated from the front of the platform.

By the above mechanism it will be seen that as the slowly-revolving sprocketwheel I revolves it draws in the chain It, staked forward on the line of the proposed ditch, securing a forward movement of the whole machine when cutting the ditch. passing over the sprocket-wheel P, winds under a pulley, a", on the brackets rKwhich holds the same down under the front pole, S, and axle, thereby preventing the chain from wearing away those parts. The chain also passes through a ring, 8, on the front end of pole, as illustrated in Fig. 7, which serves to keep the machine in a straight line by preventing the front axle from turning.

A shifter, 8 is attached to the bed of the The chain B, after machine, and so connected with the belt 8 of the cones or conoids, as to move the belts up or down on the cones or conoids, and thus vary the speed at which the shaft 0 is revolved, and consequently regulate the speed at which the machine is propelled.

A receiver, T, is secured to the under side of the platform, behind and partly under the sprocket-wheel, into which the chain S is received as the same is wound over the sprocketwheel, and retained until staked out again.

The hind wheels, at, are journaled on the short axles a, which are secured directly to the side piece of the frame.

The forward movement of the machine and motion to the cutting-wheel are imparted from the pitmen of the engine connecting directly with the main shaft.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a ditching-machine, the combination, with the main frame, of a cutting and excavating wheel, mounted in a vertically-adjust able swinging frame, journaled at one end upon the shaft,from which motion is imparted to said wheel, agear-wheel or pinion arranged to mesh with an internal gear on the cutting and excavating wheel, and a chain for actuating said pinion from the driving-shaft, substantially as set forth.

2. In a ditching-machine, the combination, with the main frame and a vertically-adjustable swinging frame journaled on the engineshaft, of a cutting and excavating wheel journaled in said swinging frame and driven by a ternal gear, the pinion being secured to a shaft supported in brackets attached to a verticallyadjustable swinging frame, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with an engine, a vertically-adj ustable cutting and excavatingwheel, and mechanism for revolving said wheel by the power of the engine, of a draft-chain adapted to be staked to the ground at one end, and a sprocket wheel connected with a shaft arranged and adapted to be driven by the engine, said draft-chain being arranged to en gage with said sprocket-wheel, and thereby adapted to draw forward the machine, substantially as set forth.

6. In a ditching-machine, a revolving wheel carrying cutters and scrapers on its periphery and operated by internal gearing, said internal gearing being inclosed by disks of metal or wood, which prevent the ingress of dirt, substantially as set forth.

7. In a ditching-machine, the combination, with a chain one end of which is staked in front of the machine, and the other end passing backward through a ring in the draft-pole, and from thence under the machine,of asprocket-wheel, over which said chain passes, and a receiver to hold the slack chain as the same is wound over the sprocket-wheel substantially as set forth. I

8. In a ditching-machine, the combination,

with the draft-chain, of a chain-receiver for re-- ceiving the slack portion of the chain, substantially as set forth.

9. A ditching-machine comprising the following parts, to wit: a vertically-adjustable cutting and excavating wheel, a boiler, engine,

forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of March, 1881; 4

FAWCEIT PLUMB.

Witnesses:

NELsoN PLUMB, JOHN B. PLUMB. 

